Combined dry shaver and oral instrument



March 1959 J. J. PRESSMAN 2,878,499

COMBINED DRY SHAVER AND ORAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 23, 1958 INVENTOR. J05: 1 P2559144 A'TTOP/VEV COMBINED DRY SHAVER AND ORAL INSTRUMENT Joel J. Pressman, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 23, 1958, Serial No. 743,538

7 Claims. (Cl. 1522) This invention relates to a combination device that comprises a dry shaver and an oral instrument of the nature of tooth-cleaning and gum-massaging implements.

The invention is characterized by convenience and efficacy, the same contemplating novel and improved means adapting an electric dry shaver as a toothbrush I or other such implement relating to oral hygiene and care.

Another object or purpose of the invention is to provide an otherwise conventional electric dry shaver with removable conversion means that adapt such shaver to being converted into a power-operated oral instrument.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority andv serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a fragmentary partial side elevational and partial cross-sectional view of a combined dry shaver and oral instrument according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof with the instrument and its support member omitted, as when the shaver is being used as a shaver.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The shaver that is illustrated conventionally comprises a housing 5 in which is contained an electric motor that imparts oscillating movement to a shaft 7. This drive is not shown because the same is conventional. Said shaft resides in a space 8 beyond the end of housing 5 and has bearing in walls 9 that define the ends of said space. Said shaft is provided with a plurality of arms 10 that extend radially and mount a cutter blade 11. The latter is biased by a spring 12 in a direction to resiliently engage the inner face of a perforated guard plate 13 that encloses said space 8. The foregoing is generally typical of a conventional form of dry shaver in which the cutter blade sweeps back and forth due to the oscillation of a driven shaft. Such a dry shaver is shown in Patent No. 2,688,184, issued September 7, 1954.

According to the present invention, the above-described or a similar dry shaver is provided, in combination, with a novel end cap 14 outward of one of the bearing walls 9, an adapter extension 15 on the shaft 7 and enclosed by said cap, a separably attachable and elongated bearing support 16 that, in operative position, extends laterally from the end cap 14, and a complement of interchangeable implements 17 separably connected to the nited States Patent 0 ice adapter extension and extending through the support 16 in bearing engagement therewith.

The end cap 14 is shown as secured to the wall 9, as by a screw 20 and, therefore, has a fixed position with respect to the shaft 7. The end wall 21 of said cap is provided with an opening 22 that is coaxial with said shaft. Said cap 14, as shown, is interiorly hollow to define a space 23.

The adapter extension 15 is affixed to a portion 24 of shaft 7 that extends into the space 23. A set screw 25 is shown for this purpose. In the present instance, the extension is formed to have a tubular end 26 which has a non-round terminal end 27 residing in and centered on the opening 22 in the cap 14. This extension adapter is provided as a permanent part of the assembly and remains in place, as shown, during use of the device as a shaver. The adapter merely oscillates with the shaft 7 but otherwise has no function until provided with an implement such as the implement 17. As can be seen in Fig. 2, there is a clear space between the end 27 and the inner wall of the opening 22.

The bearing support 16 is shown as an elongated tube 28 having a through bore 29. One end 30 of said tube is tapered to have free entry through opening 22 and 1s formed with a part 31 snugly fitting said opening. A. flange 32 constitutes a limiting abutment that locates the support 16 as a lateral extension of the end cap 14.

The support is removably held connected to said end cap by a resilient member 33 carried by the cap and so disposed as to have snap engagement with the end 30 by entry into an annular groove 34 in said end 30. This condition may be seen in Figs. 1 and 3. A sharp pull on the bearing 16 will remove the same from its connection with the cap 14.

It will be noted that the end 30 receives the extension 26 which is freely rotational in the counterbore 35 of said end 30. As a consequence, the bearing support 16 is non-rotationally held in operative position.

The implement 17 that is shown is intended as exemplary. The shank 36 thereof typically is provided at its end with a non-round portion 37 that has a slip fit with the non-round terminal end 27 of the adapter 15. While extending loosely through the bore 29 of tube 28, said shank is, nevertheless, so supported thereon as to obviate material deflection in use. Of course, bearing bushings or the like may be provided in bore 29 without invention.

Said implement is provided at its outer end with a head 38. The same is shown as a gum-massaging head. But it will be understood that the same may be made in the form of a brush in any other form suitable for working or treating oral cavity parts, such as gums and teeth.

Since shaft 7 is oscillatory, the implement 17 has the same movement. Thus, the device is totally safe to use in oral hygiene or treatment. No loose portions of skin or flesh can be snagged due to said oscillating movement of the implement. Yet the same provides powerdriven means that is quite effective for the purpose intended and which is available in bathrooms and similar p aces.

While the foregoing specification illustrates and de scribes what I now contemplate to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, I do not desire to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a dry shaver having an oscillating cutter-mounting shaft and a hollow end cap into which an end of said shaft extends, the improvement therewith of a laterally extending bearing support, means removably connecting said support to said end cap, an extension adapter on said end of-the shaft and residing in the hollow of the end cap, and an oral cavity-treating implement in bearing engagement with said support and in driving connection with the extension adapter.

2. In combination with a dry shaver having an oscillating cutter-mounting shaft and a hollow end cap into which an end of said shaft extends, the improvement therewith of a laterally extending bearing support, means removably connecting said support to said end cap, an extension adapter on said end of the shaft and residing in the hollow of the end cap, and an oral cavity-treating implement in bearing engagement with said support and in separable driving connection with the extension adapter.

3. In combination with a dry shaver having an oscillating cutter-mounting shaft and a hollow end cap into which an end of said shaft extends, the improvement therewith of a laterally extending bearing support, means removably connecting said support to said end cap, an extension adapter on said end of the shaft and residing in the hollow of the end cap, means providing snapretention engagement of the end cap and the bearing support, an oral cavity-treating implement extending longitudinally through and in bearing engagement with said support, and a separable driving connection between the extension adapter and the implement.

4. In an electric dry shaver having a housing, an oscillating cutter-mounting shaver shaft within said housing and having an end directed toward an end of the housing, an elongated adapter connected by one end thereof to said end of the shaver shaft and moving therewith, said adapter constituting an extension of the shaver shaft, an oral cavity-treating implement separably connected to the other end of the adapter and oscillating with the adapter and shaver shaft, and a bearing support carried by said housing and supporting the implement during such movement.

5. In an electric dry shaver, an oscillating cuttermounting shaft, an adapter on the end of the shaft and moving therewith, an oral cavity-treating implement separably connected to and oscillating with the adapter, a bearing support carried by the shaver and supporting the implement during such movement, and means separably connecting the bearing support and the dry shaver.

6. In an electric dry shaver, an oscillating cuttermounting shaft, an adapter on the end of the shaft and moving therewith, an oral cavity-treating implement separably connected to and oscillating with the adapter, a bearing support carried by the shaver and supporting the implement during such movement, a hollow end cap on said shaver and into which the adapter extends, and means separably connecting the bearing support and said end cap.

7. In an electric dry shaver, an oscillating cuttermounting shaft, an adapter on the end of the shaft and moving therewith, an oral cavity-treating implement separably connected to and oscillating with the adapter, a bearing support carried by the shaver and supporting the implement during such movement, a hollow end cap on said shaver and into which the adapter extends, and snap retention means separably connecting the bearing support and said end cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,813,630 McCarty July 7, 1931 

